Latest news with #VeerashaivaLingayat
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Central census will benefit Veerashaiva Lingayat Community: Cong MLA
Davanagere : Akhil Bharat Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha president and Congress MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa said the central govt's caste census will be beneficial for the Veerashaiva Lingayat community . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Addressing a felicitation programme organised by the district unit of the Akhil Bharat Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha at SSM Hall in BIET College on Saturday, he criticised his own govt. He said the state govt is attempting to portray the Veerashaiva Lingayat community as a minority. "The census conducted by the central govt will help reveal our true numbers," he said. He further said there are over two crore Veerashaiva Lingayats in the state, but the state govt's caste census report claims the population is only 65 lakh. "The state govt is trying to show we are fewer in number to take away the govt benefits we receive. The Mahasabha will not allow this. We will bring all Veerashaiva Lingayats in the state together to demonstrate unity," Shamanur clarified. The senior Congress legislator said the central govt has announced it will conduct a caste census along with the population census. "It is said the central census will take another six months to a year. Meanwhile, the state govt seems to be in a hurry to implement the caste census report. The Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha and leaders of the Vokkaliga community have already held meetings and reached a consensus, and all leaders have agreed to the decisions made in the meeting," he added. Forest minister and national general secretary of the Mahasabha, Eshwar Khandre, said there is an ongoing unnecessary debate about Veerashaiva and Lingayat being different. "The Mahasabha has consistently maintained that Veerashaiva and Lingayat are not separate; they are the same. The community should remember that all who perform Linga worship are Lingayats," he said.
New Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
CM Siddaramaiah seeks confidential views as ministers to present views on caste survey report
BENGALURU: With the previous cabinet meeting chaired by Chief minister Siddaramaiah to discuss the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey report remaining inconclusive, now the attention has shifted to the upcoming cabinet meeting on May 2. Though a clearcut decision, whether to implement the report or go with a fresh survey, is unlikely even in the next cabinet meeting, there is curiosity over the opinions of ministers. Siddaramaiah played it tactfully by allowing his cabinet colleagues to express their opinions confidentially in writing. It may come in handy to play it safe to those who hail from the Veerashaiva Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities. They have three options -- express the opinions of their community, the community's organisation, and their own, according to analysts. 'I will express my personal opinion confidentially, besides that of my community and the Veerashaiva Mahasabha. I hope that any decision that will be arrived at will ensurie that no community feels let down,' Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre told reporters here on Friday. Other leaders are also expected to resort to a similar approach. Sources added that most of the ministers are unlikely to insist that the report be rejected. By using AI, district administrations are likely to segregate the taluk or Assembly constituency-wise caste census data, which would expose the strength of the AHINDA-Kannada acronym for the minorities, Backward Classes and Dalits. If leaders, who get elected on the AHINDA tag, oppose the survey, it will be seen as politically imprudent. 'So most of the Congress MLAs and ministers don't dare to go against the CM's decision,' a Congress leader remarked. Meanwhile, AHINDA MLAs, the sympathisers of Siddaramaiah, are eager to debate on the report if the government calls for a joint legislature session. It is mandatory as per the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission's Act, an expert said.
